Vietnam Heritage - December 2018 - January 2019

6:8 DEC 2018-JAN 2019

CONTENT No 6, VOL.8, DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

DANCE

8 The spring lion dance of the Nung Phan Slinh people RITUAL

10 A sacred ceremony at a world heritage site 12 A clan reunion and a festival of masquerades ART

14 Year of the pig

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ARCHITECTURE

16 Phat Ziem stone church TRAVEL

20 A piece of paradise 24 Travelling from nature and history to the digital world Japan

30 A culture built for working people ART

32 An artirst who truly loves his country MEMOIRS

34 Nostalgia of the era of Subsidized Economy 36 38 39 40

FOOD

Gastronomy with gastropods EVENTS

WHAT THE PAPER SAY

DIRECTIONS

Cover photograph:

Phat Ziem stone church.

Photo by Le Bich

Published by the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam

Publication licence No: 1648/GP-BTTTT from the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the English-language edition of The Gioi Di San (The World of Heritage) magazine Editor-in-Chief: Le Thanh Hai; Public Relations Director: Bui Thi Hang Managing Editor: Kha Tu Anh; Sub-editing: Erik Johnson, Le Hoai Nam ; Assistant: Van Thanh Nga, Nguyen Dang Khoa; Designer: Thanh Mai; Contributing Photographers: Nguyen Ba Han, Hoang Quoc Tuan, Hoang The Nhiem, Huynh Van Nam, Le Hoai Phuong, Nguyen Anh Tuan; Nguyen Ba Ngoc Correspondent: Pip de Rouvray; Advertising and Circulation: Green Viet Advertising JSC Email: tapchidisanvietnam@gmail.com & vnheritagemagazine@gmail.com; Thuy Phuong 0969 47 3579 Hanoi Advertising and Subscription: The He Moi MHN Viet Nam Co.Ltd, Mr Song Hao: 0903 476 999 Contact in the US for subscription and advertising: 2628 Sturla dr. San Jose, CA 95148

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Out of class Trang Tien Bridge, Hue City 2018 Photo: Luong Nam Nhat Long First Prize of Vietnam Heritage Junior Photo Awards 2018

The spring lion dance

DANCE

of the Nung Phan Slinh people TEXT BY KHAU DENG; PHOTOS BY BUI VINH THUAN

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Hanoi

Cao Bang Thai Nguyen Lang Son

HCM City

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amouflaged as a lion, the dancer makes quick, vigorous and skillful moves extracted from traditional martial arts. These are the typical characteristics of the dance. The dancing lion may also be accompanied by a gorilla and a monkey.

Nung Phan Slinh lion dance shows are usually performed during rituals at shrines, or during New Year’s and other festive occasions to evoke the spirit of unity and boost the air of exultance in the community. The dance also expresses the noble militarism, bravery and the values that the Nung Phan Slinh people utilized in the process of surviving and becoming one with nature.

The lion dance is especially lively, gay and flamboyant during the long tong (getting down to the fields) festival that usually takes place somewhere between the 4th and 25th of the first lunar month after the New Year to pray to heaven and the deities, asking for favorable weather, good crops and abundance.

In every long tong festival, usually five lion dances are performed, each with its own meaning, purpose and unique characteristics.

Greeting partner lion dance: When the guest lion arrives, the two lions make acquaintances with a boisterous dance under overwhelming beats of drums and gongs. The two lions are actually sparring, trying to outwit and bring their opponent down.

Both the dancers must be highly skillful in martial arts in order not to be defeated. Sometimes, both of them bend down so low as if ready to throw one another over. Having finished the dance and kowtowed to the tutelary god, the lions walk around to greet the spectators, their gait showing strength and flexibility Greeting the deities dance: This is a must-do in all lion dance shows. As the drums and gongs begin to play, all the participating lions come out to dance. They begin by holding their head high, making circles with their hands, and then oscillating their head to the left, to the right, or forward, flashing bright colors beautifully. This dance normally lasts about 30 minutes.

Festive dances: Two lions dance and push one another with a knee at the same time. If one of them steps back, falls or its knee is off the target, it loses. The sparring between two lions may sometimes last more than 5 rounds without anyone winning. To win, one must have great skills and stamina.

After the lions have danced for an hour, the gorillas join the show. They use branches to scare the lions, chase and mount them, kick and punch them. The lions get angry and fight back.

The appearance of the gorillas changes the dynamics of the dance and diversifies the fun. The interaction between them and the lions makes the spectators laugh heartily. A while later, monkeys arrive on the scene. There are usually two monkeys per lion. The gorillas and monkeys join forces to harass and beat the lions. In return, the lion makes aggressive moves such as springing up and snatching them, and the gorillas and monkeys show agility by evading and striking back. All participating artists must have enduring stamina and great martial skills to make the show look real and attractive. That is exactly the element that attracts most of the spectators.

DANCE

Nung Phan Slinh is a local subgroup of the Nung ethnic minority, mostly concentrating in the provinces of Lang Son, Cao Bang and Thai Nguyen. The Nung Phan Slinh culture is age oldand-rich. The lion dance is just one bright spot in this colorful kaleidoscope.

Giving birth to lion cubs dance: Lions caress one another and make symbolic mating movements. Then a little lion climbs into the mother lion’s womb. Now the mother lion looks heavy and very cautious with every movement. Then they dance the act of giving birth to a cub, and the mother lion teaches the cub every move of the dance. The mother shows caring tenderness, while the cub shows fragility at first, but grows stronger and stronger.

At last, the two of them dance gracefully in unison to show that the cub is growing mature.

The lion hunt dance: A man armed with a short machete, the gorillas and monkeys attack the lion under rapid drum rolls. The lion runs agilely and evades the attacks, but it cannot run forever.

The hunter, gorillas and monkeys finally drive the lion into a snare, cut off its head and celebrate the victory. The lion hunt dance demonstrates the power of the Nung Phan Slinh people to conquer nature. n DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019 I

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RITUAL

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A sacred ceremony at a world heritage site

BY BAO BINH

oa Lu Festival (or Truong Yen Festival) takes place every year from the 8th to 10th day of the 3rd lunar month at the shrines of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh at Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province. These sacred shrines belong to the ‘Complex of National Relics at Ancient Capital Hoa Lu’. This complex is even more special, as it is the central part of the ‘Trang An World Heritage Complex’ in Ninh Binh Province.

Attending Truong Yen Festival are thousands of people who want to demonstrate gratitude and pay tribute to the heroic

country-founding kings of the Dinh and Le dynasties, especially King Dinh Tien Hoang.

The festival re-enacts the whole life and deeds of King Dinh Tien Hoang, from his childhood to the time he conquered the 12 warlords to become king and found the very first absolute monarchy of Vietnam.

The festival is quite significant in the community’s spiritual life. It reinforces the people’s positives values and pride. All those who attend the festival do so with the hope that their family and community will enjoy peace and prosperity.

In the past, the tray of offerings to be presented to the Kings was prepared by the

Water procession on Hoang Long River at the Hoa Lu Festival.

Photo: Phung Tung Khanh

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whole community with great care. It used to be the expression of the common feelings of respect and gratitude. Today as material life has been greatly improved, each person attending the festival has their own tray of offerings, and so the communal tray becomes less important.

The main events of the festival include Shrine opening ritual, Water procession, Incense offering, Fire procession, Reed flag mimic battle, Lady warrior procession, dragon dance, and a rice cooking contest.

Water procession is one of the most attended rituals. This is the opening act of the celebration. The water procession starts from the shrine of King Dinh and goes to the bank of the Hoang Long River. Embarking on some waiting boats, the main one having a dragon shape and standing at the center.

The boats move to the middle of the river for the people to conduct their prayer and drop

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Hoa Lu Festival at the shrine of King Dinh Tien Hoang.

Photo: Nguyen Phung Chi

votive gold and offerings into the water to thank the Lord of Water. Then the host releases a circular red cloth into the water, scoops water from within this circle and pours it into a big jar covered with a piece of red cloth, which purifies the water. When the jar is full, the boats spread out and go back to the bank. The dragon boat makes a left turn before coming back to the bank.

The procession continues bringing the jar of water back to the shrine.

The traditional yearly water procession reflects the intimate relationship between the past, present and future of the whole community, which includes elements of the

spirit of the rivers and mountains, the instinctive awareness of the origins of the people and the country, and the morality of ‘being grateful to the headwaters that relieved thy thirst’.

The most sacred part takes place at night at both the shrines of Kings Dinh and Le. The prayer text consists of nine sections. After each section is read by the host, one male and one female sing a song in the genre of ca tru to interpret the content of the prayer.

Visitors can join activities such as wrestling and martial arts contests, boat race, swinging, singing chau van songs, composing poems and commenting on

them, letter formation games, staff dance, dragon or kylin dance, and human chess.

Among the folk games, the most unique one is the ‘reed flag mimic battle’, which reenacts the childhood of Dinh Bo Linh grazing buffaloes in the fields of Truong Yen. In the current setting, there are about 60 school students participating in the game.

First, the kids led by their supervisor come to the altar to pray and ask for permission to perform. The ritual complete, they take turn come forward to kowtow, and then start playing. After the game they come again to thank the kings and pray for peace for the country and prosperity for the people.’ n

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RITUAL

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A CLAN REUNION AND A FESTIVAL OF MASQUERADES

BY PHAM QUOC DUNG- NGUYEN QUOC VUONG- TRAN KIM THANH; PHOTOS BY TRINH VIET HUNG

here is an ancient tradition which was discontinued for 50 years, and restored completely in 2012 by ethnographers and local people. Since then, this festival is conducted every year.

In June 2015, the festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In the Tay language, Na Nhem means Lang ‘soot-smeared face’, so the festival can be Hanoi Son understood as a kind of masquerade carnival.

According to Mr Ban Tuan Nang, an expert of the Institute of Development Culture, Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, Na Nhem Festival includes HCM City rituals and rites consecrated to the Cao Son

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Tutelary god, Great King Quy Minh, King Mieu Tinh and King Cao Quyet. It promotes the traditions of nation defense through cultural activities, folk games and shows.

Besides commemorating the kings of the Mac Dynasty, the festival also educates about fighting the aggressors to defend the native land, making a living and about the very human nature of the continuation of life and its improvement.

Early in the morning, the shaman and the elders conduct the sacred opening ceremony at the shrine of King Mieu Tinh. They use a bamboo section to get ‘sacred water’ from a pond nearby and bring it in a procession to the Lang Mo Temple dedicated to the kings and deities.

The offerings made to the kings and the deities at the temple typically include the ‘sacred water’ that represents life and the country, rice twigs representing abundance, sago palm tree

RITUAL representing longevity, lingam and yoni representing the wish for many descendants to continue the clan.

Notably, in recent Na Nhem festivals, the lingam is almost a meter long and weighs about 60kg, attracting many curious visitors.

At the predetermined time and when the offerings are ready, the shaman and elders start the prayers, informing the Kings and the deities about the consecrated items. The acceptance of offerings by the Kings and deities is announced through a successful casting of tags.

After this ritual, the elders head a procession that brings the dragonadorned Royal Throne together with the offerings from Lang Mo Temple to the Xa Vun Shrine.

Except for the shaman, two elders and four throne carriers whose faces don’t have to be smeared, all others are required to have their face sootsmeared so that they can pretend to be the enemy and can’t be recognized and captured and harmed by a ghost. This reflects the reality of the historical period, when people of Mac clan were pursued and persecuted by Trinh Lord’s henchmen and had to change their name and appearance.

Leading the procession is the deputy general (sir thai) wiping the road with a broom and followed by the general. The two of them have to

NA NHEM (SOOT-SMEARED FACE) AT LANG MO VILLAGE TEMPLE, BAC SON DISTRICT, LANG SON PROVINCE IS A UNIQUE FESTIVAL OF THE TAY PEOPLE THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE FIRST FULL MOON EACH YEAR.

coordinate the steps and body movements to look both flexible and in unison.

When the general commands ‘da di’, his left hand waving behind his back and his right hand gesturing forward above his head, the army shouts out loud and make martial moves with their swords and pikes striking and thrusting, left and right, up and down, forward and backward, attacking and self-defending.

When the procession reaches Xa Vun Shrine, the whole army makes two lines on two sides of the shrine as if this were a royal court. The offerings are brought forward. Now the shaman and the elders conduct the consecration ritual for King Mieu Tinh (who is the dynasty founder Mac Dang Dung). The ceremonial part ends here.

The fun part is very lively, with folk games such as swinging, cock fights, throwing a ball through a ring. The ‘scholar–farmer–craftsman–trader’ and ‘fishery– farming–forestry–husbandry’ shows are the biggest attraction.

In recent years, Na Nhem has been gaining popularity among locals, and attracts thousands of tourists. In 2017, a large number of descendants of the Mac clan from Hai Phong, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen and Hanoi have also come to attend the festival. n

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YEAR OF THE

ART

PIG TEXT AND PHOTOS BY LE BICH

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Pig eats elephant-ear. Đông Hồ folk woodcut painting

igs symbolize indulgence, lust and satiety in leisure. The image of a pig can be used as a symbol of financial wellness. In addition, the pig head is also an important part of a tray of offerings in the ceremonial rites of the Vietnamese people.

In Oriental culture, the pig is the last one among the 12 zodiac animals, and also the last one among the six domesticated animals.

In the science of Yin and Yang, the pig’s sign is Yin, so its character is temperate and mild. Pigs reproduce at a high rate, hence their image is popularly used in folk art to symbolize fertility, good luck, and a happy family with a multitude of descendants, especially in Dong Ho paintings, highly in demand during the New Year.

In real life, pigs may be small and skinny. But in the

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Dong Ho paintings, they are all plump with a wide mouth, the unmistakable characteristics of a good breed of pigs that eat well and grow very fast.

The painting that depicts a mother pig with piglets expresses prosperity and fertility. The big white mother is lying in a relaxed, satisfied manner while the colorful piggies, some green, some white, some purple, etc. are snuggling around her. All the pigs have the cowlick whirls, a Yin-Yang sign of multiplication that also make them look surreal and, supernatural.

The gluttony of the pigs is depicted most sharply in the “pig eating taro leaf” painting. Taro is a usual food farmers use to feed their pigs. The pig plunges its whole mouth into the manger, and the taro leaf seems to be moving. The large body of the pig occupies almost the whole picture, its tail

ART

Clockwise from top left : Yin-yang pig. Đông Hồ folk woodcut painting; Corpulent pig with suckling piglets. Kim Hoang folk painting Animal sacrifice; Pig , duck and chicken. Southern folk painting.

curleds up, the ears raised, and the four legs form a strong stance to push ahead for a bigger bite and to pull the taro branch back to hold more of it. The act of eating looks very ferocious.

In the Kim Hoang school of folk painting, the New Year pigs are printed on red paper. The back areas are printed first. Then a folk artisan would paint other details such as the eyes, mouth, ears and the white hem. The contrast between white, red and black makes the paintings more concise and symbolic.

The Sinh village (Hue) school of painting also has a pig painting for consecration. It uses only black color and the pig looks real, not stylized. The painting is only used as

offering to pray for the real pigs to be healthy and grow fast...

The Do The school in the South also has pig paintings, but they belong to the votive paintings to be burnt as offering to the people in the underworld together with their other assets. These paintings a simple, made by just a few strokes, and the pigs look real, without any artistic modification.

Pig paintings can express simple dreams of the country people. They work hard to grow the pigs, and they want their pigs to grow big, fat and fast. They put a lot of hope in the pigs: “A pig’s hungry day is a man’s hungry month.” The folk artists have created those paintings with much tender love and strong attachment. n DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

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ARCHITECTURE

PHAT ZIEM

STONE CHURCH Where Eastern and Western architectural styles converge TEXT AND PHOTOS BY LE BICH

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ocated 28km south of Ninh Binh city, the church occupies a 117m wide, 243m long area at the center of Phat township. The complex includes many structures such as Ho pond, the Square Temple, the Great Church, Four Side Chapels, the Stone Chapel and three artificial stone caves.

Early in the 20th century, Phat Ziem was just a muddy alluvial area, overgrown with sedge. In 1828, Nguyen Cong Tru, a resourceful mandarin and a famous poet, was sent by Hue royal court to the North as the “Ground Breaking Emissary” to create

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new territories. He established Tien Hai district (Thai Binh) and Kim Son district (Ninh Binh), today very prosperous regions, deserving of the titles to be called the “sea of silver” and “mountain of gold”, respectively.’

Phat Ziem means “generating the beauty”..

The Phat Ziem Church complex is arranged on grounds shaped as the character “Imperial”, a very typical Oriental style with a lake at the front and a mountain at the back, which in the minds of the Eastern Asians create the sense of beauty, fertility, steadiness and lasting peace as it is “facing the water and leaning on a mountain.”

The Square Temple is the centerpiece of the Phat Ziem Church design, but was the last structure to have

been completed in 1899. An architectural and artistic masterpiece, instead of thrusting into the sky with a square or round tower often seen in Western cathedrals, the Square Temple looks more like a large village temple, almost cubic. Indeed, it is 21m wide, 17m deep, and 25m high. The ground floor is the larger one. Except the two staircases leading upstairs, it looks like a triple door gate in the traditional architecture styles, built and carved intricately by hands with blue limestone. The reliefs covering the walls depict some saints, and the ones on the outer side of the ground floor walls depict Jesus Christ’s journey from the time he entered Jerusalem to the time he went to Heaven. Surrounding the walls are bamboo- shaped pillars.

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The upper part of the Square Temple consists of five tower blocks. The four corner blocks, shaped like lotuses or pots of holy water often seen at the top of the temples and pagodas in Vietnamese countryside, support the statues of the Saints authoring the gospels. The central block has three storeys covered with upward hook tiles and a bell tower with a 1.90m tall bell inside. A truly harmonic combination of the Occidental and Oriental cultures indeed!

The Great Church was built in 1891 in just three months, but the preparation and the groundwork lasted a decade before that. The only thing it has in common with the churches in Europe is the large, 74m long interior.bowel inside. The rest follows the design of Buddhist temples. The spiritual elements are also largely expressed in the traditional ways. The inside of the church is divided into 10 compartments by nine sets of cross beams and girders and six rows of pillars, all sophisticatedly carved with folklore themes.

The feel of western great space is created by the width (21m) and the height (15m), a proof of great skills of the masters of that time.

The roofing has two levels separated by rows of windows that provide light and create the feeling of increased height.

This is the typical doubled roof in traditional architecture. The

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use of upward hooked roof tiles that creates the feeling of lightness is also a good blending of Southeast Asian and Gothic architectures. At one end of the Great Church, a massive granite lean-to provides fivee 5 long vault-like entrances into the church, the highest being in the middle.

Inside, all wooden altars and votive utensils are red-lacquered and gilded exactly the way their counterparts are in the Vietnamese temples.

The 15.3m long, 8.5m wide and 6m high Heart of Mary Chapel, aka the Stone Chapel, was built first in 1883. Because the floor, pillars, beams, bars, tower and altars here are all made of stones, Phat Ziem parishioners call it the stone chapel. At the front, it has a tower at the center to house a statue of Vᝉgin Mary, and a pair of five- storey towers on two sides that are reminiscent of the Pen Tower at the Lake of Returned Sword of Hanoi. Everything inside the chapel is made of elegant marble, light and flowing, with stone bars and reliefs on both sides. On the main altar are a carved and red lacquered and gilded wooden tabernacle and a stone statue of Virgin Mary. The reliefs are cut through depicting a phoenix holding a letter in its beak. The chapel is a true work of art, and some visitors dubbed it a jewel of the Phat Ziem Church complex.

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ARCHITECTURE

It can be said that the Phat Ziem Church complex is a sophisticated and harmonic blending of Western church architecture and Eastern temple architecture. Christianity brings faith to people while the architectural style, the incense smoke and the image of the temples and pagodas, peaceful and protective, have already deeply carved in the mind of Southeast Asians in general and Vietnamese in particular. A symbol of the spiritual practice traditions of the Vietnamese people, Phat Zziem is also an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists, a focal point in the overall picture of historical relics and beautiful sceneries of Ninh Binh Province. ’ n DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

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TRAVEL

A piece of

Paradise

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TEXT BY HOA HA PHOTOS BY NGUYEN VAN LOI AND DANG DINH SY

ach Ma is the only one of the five ‘sibling’ locations discovered and developed into a vacation land by the French, along with Sapa, Tam Dao, Ba Na and Da Lat, that has retained its almost pristine nature.

With its peak sitting at 1,450 metres above sea level, Bach Ma Mountain is the most ideal place in the country to enjoy mild weather. The mountain also boasts significant biodiversity.

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TRAVEL Hanoi

HCM City

Perfect biodiversity and nature conserve

Bach Ma National Park was formed in 1991. The park has a total area of nearly 37,500ha and is home to more than 4,500 flora and fauna species, including endemic and endangered species listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Some endangered primates, including blackshanked douc, loris, and gibbons, have appeared in high frequency in the areas with visitors to the park.

It is a living place for two of the world's rarest mammals – Asian biocorn and Vu Quang ox.

Conservationists also found the pheasant species of lophura edwardsi, an endemic bird.

According to the park authorities, its rich biodiversity also shelter several deer species, including Truong Son, as well as evergreen flora.

The park rangers have worked hard for decades to reduce impacts from outsiders. The old practices of farming, illegal logging and hunting by locals are the common threats to the park’s nature.

Thua Thien Hue

Visitors can get to the park from Hue, Da Nang or Lang Co. Bach Ma Park is situated just 4km off National Highway No 1 in Phu Loc District. It is 40km south of Hue and 60km away from Da Nang.

Bicycles, motorcycles, vans or local buses are all convenient to reach the park’s entrance gate. Public buses operate from Da Nang to Hue every 15 minutes with a ticket price of VND60,000 per passenger.

Visitors can also rent motorcycles from Da Nang, Hue or Lang Co.

Idyllic place for trekking

The park was discovered by the French engineer Girard in 1925. Later, the French developed a total of 139 villas to turn the mountain into a health resort centre, where visitors could enjoy the average temperature of between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius in summer and 5 degrees Celsius in winter.

Visitors have several options of ecofriendly tour programmes to enjoy nature in the park. According to the park authorities, the tours are designed in a positive manner to ensure the best protection of nature from the negative impact of 15,000 tourists visiting the park annually.

Accommodations in the park are supplied mainly by eight villas built by the French nearly 100 years ago. The park offers visitors six trekking tour programmes, departing from the accommodation centre, including trip to Tri Sao to Do Quyen Waterfall, to the mountain peak, where visitors stand in Hai Vong Dai to have a look to the sea, and to Ngu Ho, where five lakes lie together.

At the park, visitors also have chance to go deeper into the world of birds if they employ the service of guide Truong Cam, who is able to lure hundreds of birds into the trees around him by whistling.

According to the park authorities, hotel service in the villas can host 100 tourists at a time. Chefs are available to offer local food and wild vegetables at the villas as well as for night parties at camp fire site on the mountain peak. n

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CONSERVATION

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OFFICIALS DEBATE MERITS OF UPGRADING BACH MA

ocal authorities in Thua Thien Hue recently proposed to take 387ha from the core zone of Bach Ma park to develop a tourism complex, which would include cable car systems. Experts fear that the proposed cable car systems would destroy its biodiversity as well as the natural beauty of the jungle and mountain.

According to local authorities, the systems would have two routes. One route links the reception hall at the park’s entrance gate and the mountain peak; another connects the peak with Ngu Ho, where five lakes sit at one site.

The cable car project advisor is POMA Group, a ropeway transportation firm headquartered in France. POMA’s representatives told audiences at a seminar held to introduce the complex proposal that the system would not create pollution in terms of noise or emissions. However, experts estimated that the two cable car routes, one 4km long and another 1.6km long, would take up about 15ha of forest land, which is a great deal of the habitat space for flora and sauna in the park, creating obvious harm to the park’s biodiversity.

The 15ha land area claimed by the system accounted for the 26m width protection corridors along the lines, in which 5.6km line would take 145,600 square metres or 14.6ha. Several experts recommended discarding the cable car plan while others said the second route, which connects the mountain peak and Ngu Ho, should not be built.

“Definitely, the cable car system should not be built,” said Dang Dinh Sy, an operator of a tour expedition for exploring nature in Bach Ma. Sy said that the road running from the mountain foot to its peak is good enough for transportation.

Sy said the tourism planners should obtain a wider view of tourism in the central region as well as the nationwide. He added that there are lots of choices for those visitors wanting to use cable car services in the area around Bach Ma, including at Tam Dao, Da Lat and Ba Na. “Trendy visitors to Bach Ma are those who want hiking, trekking, bird viewing and flora and sauna exploring. Some others come to perform Zen meditation and yoga,” he said.

“Visitors choose to come there to trek, to enjoy the nature in a typical biosphere as well as to soak in the magic light of sunrise and sunset at the height of 1,400m above the sea level. But definitely not to stay in modern hotel facilities,” he said.

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MEASURES TO IMPROVE CURRENT SERVICE IN BACH MA ravel agents that offer tours frequently into Bach Ma said the park does not need the new buildings that could harm the pristine nature of the place, but the improvement of service as well as full use of the 139 existing nearby villas.

Due to wetness in the mountain, hotel rooms in the park are said to be humid. Many visitors said the rooms need to be drier and cleaner. They also wanted more soap at the public restrooms around the park. People in love with the park suggested more warning signs to prevent Vietnamese visitors from dumping waste as well as making use of the wild to perform their superstitious rituals.

According to experts and those familiar to Bach Ma, local tourism authorities need to make full use of the existing villas in the park. Some said the tourism sector should work harder to lure qualified investors, expecting strong investment could help revive the villas as well as add more service to the existing infrastructure.

The majority of people know of Bach Ma supported the conserve this natural pearl while continuing to lure tourists.

By Hoa Ha

JAPAN

TRAVELLING FROM NATURE AND HISTORY TO THE DIGITAL WORLD

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This is the second part about the journey on the New Golden Route of Japan via Hokuriku by Le Thanh Hai from Vietnam Heritage

The iron hearth in the middle of the living hall of the over 300 year-old house at the Ainokura Gassho-style village

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eaving the Kenrokuen Garden of Kanazawa, we headed to the mountain and arrived at the World Heritage site - the Gokayama Ainokura Gassho-style village - around 8pm. Outside, the shape of the mountain was just visible in the dark, and dim light from the windows revealed the slow-falling rain. An older woman took three female members from our team in her small car and drove us to her house. Her long, thatched-roof house was built over 300

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years ago and her family has been living there for generations. In the middle of the house, there was a hearth with some fish on skewers and a boiling pot. Her house had a simple interior with tatami mat, a TV set in the corner and sliding doors to the sleeping tatami rooms. We had a home-stay night at this house, with warnings not to walk to other neighboring houses or gardens, out of respect the privacy of each owners.

The home owner had prepared dinner for us in the Japanese tradition with wild

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Washi Japanese paper making workshop at the World Heritage Ainokura Gassho-style Village.

The World Heritage Ainokura Gassho-style Village, September 2018

vegetables that her husband picked up from the mountain, tofu and rice of the region and the fish grilled on the fire. While we ate, she went around silently making up the sleeping mats for us.

The next morning, I couldn’t help but run up and down the small roads of the village and around the neighboring houses.

I had never seen such beautiful surroundings. The magical setting of the village stole my heart. The fresh rice fields were greenish yellow and the houses on the small curving roads with time-colored, thatched roofs were like something from mythology. A garden by a neighboring house had lots of big yellow pumpkins reminding me of the approaching Halloween.

At breakfast, I learned that Gassho-style housing was born from the wisdom of people who live in the snow. The steep thatched roof covering the house was

Mask by washi paper.

designed to ensure space for sericulture as well as provide ventilation and daylight, and more importantly, the snow piled up on the roof will easily slide down.

Some of the Gassho-style houses in Gokayama are over 400 years old. How have these wooden buildings survived for so long?

Gassho-style housing always has an Irori hearth for cooking and warmth. The smoke rising from these fires repels insects and prevents the aging of the building.The ingenuity and wisdom of Gassho-style housing really represents the lives of the Japanese who have lived in harmony with nature.

We visited the Japanese handmade paper (washi) workshop in the village and had a 15minute experience producing our own paper art with the owner of the house.

Washi is one of of Japan’s most fundamental artistic products. During 1,300

years of its production, it has formed the backbone of many other Japanese art forms.

In fact, washi paper is so ingrained in Japanese culture, there are literally towns build around washi paper making Because Japanese paper-making depends on natural materials, the production of washi paper became a seasonal activity. Winter was typically considered the best paper-making season, as the weather was too cold for farmers to be out in their fields doing other work. Most washi paper uses kozo, and mitsumata, two shrubs that are generally cultivated, and gampi, which is typically wild. The plants are boiled and beaten, to get the fiber for paper pulp substance.

A mat is swirled gently in water with paper pulp four times to get the desired thickness of the paper sheet. The sheet then gently taken out and put on a heating

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Wooden art work hanging in the Yokamachi street of Inami town, Toyama Prefecture.

machine to remove extra water and dry. We put some paper flowers on to the sheet and another round for a second sheet to put on top, keeping the paper flowers in between.

In the shop, there were lots of souvenir items made with washi paper.

However, there are only a few families in the region who still make traditional washi paper.

We also visited the Museum of Sericulture, Folk Handicrafts and Photographs Yusuke. The special thing about this Museum is the house (Gashhozukuri House, built in 1868) has a pin-connected structure, using no nails but only ropes! The first floor of this farm house was built by carpenters specializing in temples and shrines; the second and third floors were made with the cooperation of villagers. You can see the internal structure of this traditional farmhouse, learn the history and customs of Ainokura Village through photographs and drawings with description panels and watch the ancient Japanese folk Kokiriko dance. The dancer plays a sasara, which consists of 108 wooden pieces and sings a cheerful melody. It is said that Kokiriko was introduced to Gokayama from the ancient capital 1000 years ago. It was sung at religious ceremonies to pray and appreciate good harvest.

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“If you want to dance, let me hold your crying baby while you dance. The sasara is near the window, so why don’t you pick it up and dance?” (Kokiriko lyrics).

We didn’t have much time to linger at this Unesco World Heritage site, as another destination awaited – the wood carving town of Inami in Toyama Prefecture.

Built around Zuisenji Temple 600 years ago, this town is home to approximately 200 of Japan’s finest wood carvers. Wood carving workshops line the stone-paved Yokamachi streets, with everything from bus signs to doorplates artfully chiseled out of wood. We walked with appreciation of the chance to be in Japan’s best wood-carving town.

The birth of Inami Town originates back to 1390, when the Emperor Gokomatshu ordered a Buddhist priest, St Shakunyo, to build Zuisenji Temple. Since then, this town has been developing as a town blessed with Buddhist prosperity.

Many carpenters from other parts of Japan moved here to work, built the Zuisenji Temple and stayed on. There was a legend about the main gate of the temple; in 1879 when a fire broke out from the main hall and the gate was about to catch fire, a wooden dragon got out from the gate, swallowed water from the deep well and put the fire out. The main gate which the Japanese call the San-mon is designed an

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Kokiriko dancer and a visitor with sasara at the Museum of Sericulture, Folk Handicrafts and Photographs Yusuke.

important cultural asset The main hall is the 4th largest wooden building in Japan. It is 40 meters wide, 45 meters long and has the floor space to fit 450 tatami straw mats. Inside the hall are 86 towering columns made from the wood of the keyaki (zelkova) tree.

On Yokamachi Street from time to time we saw girls in beautiful traditional kimonos. There was a kimono tour on offer,

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On the Doraemon tram at the hometown of the manga author Fujiko.F.Fujo, in Toyama Prefecture.

Waterfall at Digital Art Museum

with Yukata (summer kimono from July to September) and kimonos from September to March with hair styling service optional as well. The price for 4 hours rental of kimono plus lunch and Shogawa River cruise is from Y7200 to 7800 and reservation is required (at www.tabinanto.jp/nantabi/tabi/ kimono_tour.html).

Toyama is the hometown of Fujiko F. Fujio, one of the two authors of the famous Doraemon manga. I remembered my son’s eagerness to get hold of every new issue of the book in Vietnamese and how he was happy when I decorated his room, cases and desk with Doraemon the magic cat. I traveled with joy on the Doraemon tram with images of the characters of the manga painted all over. It seemed that we all reporters turned kids again when we took lots of group photos together on the tram. I believe the energy of the magic cat was the real influence. It was a pity that we didn’t have time to visit Fujiko F. Fuji’s Hometown Art Gallery. It would be interesting to know more about him, the author with an imagination for the 22nd century.

From Toyama to Tokyo, it took us just 2 hours and 8 minutes ride on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Spacious, convenient and smooth bullet train with every seat fitted

with its own power socket. Excellent! Getting out from the JR Station in Tokyo, we met a totally different world, full of lights and highrise buildings, busy traffic and beautifully lit western classic architecture. We headed for the Digital Art Museum, Odaiba.

I didn’t expect much until I entered the corridor as black as ink. Butterflies appeared and I had the urge to touch them, although there was a warning at the entrance: If you touch the butterfly it will die and disappear. The more I walked, the more butterflies followed and took the lead, and all around me were the flowers and leaves and waves of butterflies. I walked into the forest, seeing flowers booming and moving, plants growing, water falling…what a sensation!

The art is dynamic and constantly in motion. In just a few minutes, you can experience a complete change of scenery.

Step back into that same flower forest a little later, and you’ll find that the seasons have changed!

The museum combines science, art, technology, design and images of the natural world with simulations generated by 520 computers and 470 high-tech projectors. With over 107,000 square feet of space, the museum has 50 interactive displays that blend into one another over five different zones. The exhibit’s “borderless” name encourages breaking down barriers between one piece of art and another, art and its visitors, and one person and another.

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Robot receptionist welcoming at the Henn Na Hotel Tokyo Asakusabashi.

Shopping street on the way to the Sensouji Temple, Tokyo.

Sensouji Temple, Tokyo.

After experiencing some of the space that seemingly never ends, we had to leave to check in at Henn Na Hotel Tokyo Asakusabas. Greeting us were two female robots in nice uniforms and who were able to nod! Everything was operated online. While it is very convenient and comfortable, I still wished to have human interaction at hotels.

My last day in Tokyo, I explored the Edo Tokyo Museum, the Sky Tree Television Tower and the shopping area at Sensouji Temple. 2018 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Tokyo. On July 17, 1868 an imperial edict was issued changing the name of the capital of Edo to Tokyo and Tokyo Prefecture was established. The city of Tokyo which made its start amid the chaos of the Meiji Restoration, was destroyed repeatedly by earthquakes and war. The exhibition, “Tokyo: 150 years at the Edo Tokyo Museum” shows Tokyo at its origin and captures how it changed over the 150 years through photographs, films and maps.

Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower in Tokyo.

It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 meters (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world. The base of the tower has a structure similar to a tripod; from a height of about 350 m (1,150 ft) and above, the tower's structure is cylindrical to offer panoramic views of the river and the city.There are observatories at 350 m (1,150 ft), with a capacity of up to 2000 people, and

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450 m (1,480 ft), with a capacity of 900 people. The upper observatory features a spiral, glass-covered skywalk in which visitors ascend the last 5 meters to the highest point at the upper platform. A section of glass flooring gives visitors a direct downward view of the streets below.

After learning the history of Tokyo and having panoramic view of the whole city from the Sky Tree, we did some shopping along the road full of souvenir and bakery outlets leading to the Sensouji Temple.

Sensouji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensouji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The

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temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.

Following other temple visitors, I made the Omikuji : I put Y100 into the box, and thought of a wish while picking a wooden stick with a number that give fortune readings. If the reading promises positive future people take it with them, if it reads negative things, people tie the paper on the racks, to leave the bad luck there.

I wished I have the chance to explore more of Japan, and to take with me my beloved family members. And the readings encouraged it !

Seeing is believing, I highly recommend you to explore Japan soon to let yourself enjoy your existence among breathtaking nature scenes, authentic art and rhythm of culture evolution that is beyond imagination.

The trip is supported by GCP

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A CULTURE BUILT FOR WORKING PEOPLE TEXT BY LE HOAI NAM

owntown East is a special thing. As a business run by the National Trades Union Congress, it can exist and be successful only in Singapore. It was certainly the first time I have seen such a thing in my life, and it will remain unique, for a long time. It is a vibrant, purely Singaporean phenomenon.

The evening of Nov 10, 2018 masses of people gathered to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Ng Chee Meng, NTUC Club Chairman and NTUC Secretary-General projected what it will be like in 30 years , embracing technology revolution as an opportunity, not a threat.

Because Downtown East’s main purpose is to serve the working folks of Singapore, it is hardly known outside of that country. There is hardly a Chinese or Indian, or Vietnamese or Indonesian etc. who knows about Downtown East. Neither did I. Located in the middle of Pasir Ris Street, the very green Downtown East is surrounded by 10-15 storey blocks of low-cost residential housing of a large Eastern area of Singapore, where local working people can buy a housing unit and have to pay only 40% of the cost, the other 60% covered by the government. The first impression Downtown East makes is that it is very spacious. Of

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course, it has to be so in order to host working masses in special occasions.

Secondly, it has everything a person needs. So, anyone that has some money can live in the compound all year round without going out. Downtown East has a resort called D-resort; a water park called Wild Wild Wet; an enhanced retail, dining and entertainment mix at Market Square that includes a kind of food court with a lot of tidy, small restaurants, a row of shops where one can buy almost everything a tenant may need, a modern child care center and even a bowling alley; and a high-capacity MICE facility for corporate and consumer events known as MUCE. All the foods and goods sold here are of good quality at very reasonable prices. In fact, there are people who make it home here for long periods of time. During my stay at D-resort, many BBQ parties were going on around all day. The resort management explained to me that people could book a place and bring their stuff to the resort ground to have a good time.

In addition, two years ago the Singaporean government invested 200 million dollars to renovate the facility.The D-resort part looks like a village with large communal houses surrounded by stilted houses, all connected by roofed walk paths. The newly built rooms are beautiful, comfortable and of top quality. Room service is

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friendly yet discreet. Singaporeans seem to use the resort as their own country retreat house.

The investment was also used to expand the Wild Wild Wet water park with new exciting rides: Royal Flush, Free Fall, Vortex Singapore’s first high-speed 360° loops ride and Kraken Racers Singapore’s first four-lane mat racer slide. Furthermore a Kid-zone and Cabana service have also opened recently. D-resort and Wild Wild Wet combined became Singapore’s first Integrated Water Park Resort. Again, as I observe them, Singaporeans seem to have fun in the water park as if it is in their own back yard.

I won’t be surprised if told that Downtown East is not only great but also profitable. They have recorded an average of 1.1 million guests monthly. Events and programs are organized all year round to facilitate engagement and building of bonds with members and guests. These events are free for guests to enjoy, or at an affordable fee to encourage members’ participation.

This month they have celebrated the 30th anniversary of the facility with a day of music, food and carnival fun. Now I learned that they call Downtown East their lifestyle destination. It is not a service, or a privilege offered to working people. On that day they even had a race in which 98 teams took part. The event, called Downtown East 30, features star-studded local musicians and bands including the likes of The Sam Willows and THELIONCITYBOY, yummy treats at the food bazaar, fun attractions at the carnival, and engaging activities at the Community Village.

The hosts displayed professionalism and great style and care.

The facility and the people have convinced me that “Build on trust, build to last” was not only their slogan but their lifestyle too.

I can see that Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy is alive and well. His vision and spirit that have made Singapore what it is today can be felt most vividly in the Downtown East. n DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

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ART

An artist who truly loves his country Pham Huy Thong

BY PIP DE ROUVRAY

Heading Home. 2018 Oil on canvas. 140 x 160 cm

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f you love your country and its traditions, it follows you will deeply care for the environment. The environment is what creates and forges our culture. Pham Huy Thong is one artist who is acutely aware of this. For the third time, I was able to enjoy a preview of an exhibition of his entitled 'Hope Full' at the Craig Thomas Gallery. This one concentrates on landscapes and agriculture superbly incorporating realism, fantasy and allegory and ran from the 2 until the 21 of November of this year. The artist himself,having travelled down from his native Hanoi,was in attendance fittingly arrayed in fine traditional male attire Like Gullivers in Lilliput standing astride on the crests of mountains using time-honoured irrigation methods and clad in conical hats with their ropes and bamboo baskets, Vietnamese farm labourers funnel the moisture from wafting clouds down to feed the rice fields on the endless plains below. A companion frame to this one shows dawn breaking over the mountain with exquisite tinges of orange and tangaerine giving the viewer a warm feeling. This time, the farm workers have captured the sun itself and are poring down its bounty to sustain the paddies below.

Twinned with this, Trong has the dawn far more advanced, lighting up the sky intensely and with the sunshine gushing down the mountain like a lava flow. This one was my favourite of all.

In contrast, a number of pictures take us into the mystical murky waters of lake and ocean. Slender jungle liana like daggers of rain drooping down to the water invoke a spooky atmosphere. In one such picture, Trong produces a spectre reminiscent of an Egyptian mummy and holding a child (a visual play on words?) wading along the shore and wistfully looking out to sea. Then there is the calm before storm-in another picture-with the same ominous weather as backdrop; beautiful pink lotus flowers float peacefully on untroubled waters unaware of the impending tempest. Some paintings in this sub-series are available in downsized versions to suit smaller wall space or pockets. Still on the watery theme, there are

ART

two frames of larger-than-life mushrooms in a green paddy field. With Trong's paintings it pays to get up close and observe the details. The tops of the mushrooms are actuallly conical hats! Make of that what you will but there might be a clue in that the mushrooms are attired as scarecrows.

Finally, there is an interesting comment in a picture that shows with the storm behind him a labourer of the fields who is steering with his bambooo poles a barge with a cargo full of metal containers.

Behind the main exhibition salon, there was a smaller room displaying pictures of more modest dimensions and also sketches offering insight into the evolution behind his principal oeuvre.

To sum up, Trong is an easy artist to access and very pleasing to his viewers.

However, be sure to look at his very meticulously drawn detail to reach the

different layers of meaning in his works.

There is enough reality in the picture to 'know where you are' while the symbolism and careful hyperbole is easy enough to interpret without causing undue stress.

Well, I know the critics these days will tell you should not seek explanation but only take what feeling a picture gives you. But it is a basic human reaction to try to interpret what we see. Ong Trong's frames would hang on your wall and inspire gasps of admiration and talk from even your most unarty of visitors. There is no denying that Trong is an artist who follows his own heart who has a deep love for his country's great outdoors seeing the countryside as the source of wealth which demands our protection. By the time this article comes to publication this show will be over, but you can still enjoy it as a video on you tube. n DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

Waiting. 2018 Oil on canvas. 130 x 180 cm

The Craig Thomas Gallery is 27i Tan Nhat Duat street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City This exhibition ran from 21 to 27 November. Virtual tour of 'Hope Full' can be viewed on youtubePham Huy Thong 'Hope Full' Solo exhibition.

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MEMOIRS

NOSTALGIA OF THE ERA OF SUBSIDIZED ECONOMY

Standing in queue to buy kerosene as fuel for lighting and cooking

BOOK REVIEW BY THUY LIEN ; PHOTOS FROM THE BOOK “THươNG NHớ

Nostalgia of the Era of Subsidized Economy is a collection of idioms, proverbs,

common sayings, rhyming verses and kiosk signs etc. which were so familiar to everyone during that time. Taking inspiration from that unique material, artists Thanh Phong and Com (Huu Khoa) have created illustrative images that are, humorous, sarcastic, and at times painfully ironical.

Each image illustrating such an idiom or proverb etc. by depicting a ration coupon or a brick standing in queue is as effective as a panoramic picture of a historical period full of hardship due to lack of basic necessities such as a towel or a package of dried fish. But somehow, the two artists manage to express the positive, optimistic mood of the era and the humorous critical attitude of the people.

The title “Nostalgia of the Era of Subsidized Economy” alone is representative enough of the heartfelt endearment. Each page with a picture and just a few words can fill the imagination with a flood of vivid and fresh stories and images told by the elder generations.

In a way, the current year in Hanoi can be seen as the year of nostalgia of the era of subsidization. Many exhibitions, shops, restaurants etc. appear, simulating the lifestyle of the era, melting the hearts of the

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thời bao cấp”

Warehouse-keeper is boss of bosses. The reality in government owned businesses was full of red tape that required many signatures and seals, and everybody could exaggerate their role and unreasonably create problems for others. So even with the boss’s approval if the warehouse-keeper refuses then nothing can get done.

middle aged generation and provoking the curiosity and inquisitiveness of the young ones growing up in the time of openness and integration.

As a part of that trend, “Nostalgia of the era of subsidized economy” has its own uniqueness.

It not only recalls history but also conveys all the bitterness, hardship and whimsicalities of an extraordinary historical period.

Many of the idioms of that unique era are still very popular today such as “placing a brick,”, “somebody’s son”, “eating before the signal”, etc. In the time of ration coupons, basic necessity products were rarely available at the shops, and every time there was an announcement that for example meat will be sold the next day, people come to the shop at 2 or 3am and place a brick there to represent them in a queue and then went home to resume their sleep. In the morning, a queue was formed in front of the shop, sometimes hundreds of meters long.

Hence the expression “placing a brick.”

Many corrupt and bad practices that occurred in the system of subsidization still remain in our society like malignant tumors, such as embezzlement, red tape, finger pointing etc.

That’s why the proverbs and idioms that appeared during that time are still applicable

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today. For example, “Work to empty your stomach, talk to fill it,” or “Blessed be the crawling, death to the proud.” The meanings are quite obvious. It is worth mentioning that these phenomena were very widespread, making the hardship of life even more bitter and people’s spirit crisper.

It’s not by chance that the era has again acquired such an appeal. Vietnam has opened its doors to modernization for about 30 years. Many things have been greatly improved, but some values, such as affection to one another among people and strong will to overcome the odds and to preserve the good traditions, have also been diminished, little by little.

It’s good for modern Vietnamese and international friends to read, understand and contemplate the “Nostalgia of the Era of Subsidized Economy.” It is not an attempt to romanticize or to poeticize that era of difficulties, Instead it inspires us to live well our present life and look positively toward the future. n Thương nhớ thời bao cấp Publisher: Nha Nam Book Price: 150,000 VND The book is on sale at bookstores of Nha Nam and online at Tiki.vn, Fahasa.com, etc.

The power of the cloth shop keeper: she can decide whether you will have clothes to wear or not.

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The gadgets a man must have to make girls desire him: a Favorite bicycle (Czechoslovakia make) and an Orionton radio receiver (Hungary make).

“ When talking about the era of subsidized economy, don’t forget the positive values ”

he era of subsidization, colloquially dubbed “the stand-in the queue” era started in the North in 1957, and after April 1975, it spread all over the country. It truly ceased to exist only after April 1989. During this period, everything was planned and controlled by the government, a typical characteristics of a communist economy, which doesn’t accept free enterprise.

Today in Hanoi, among those hustling amidst the hectic life of bustling shops, there are many people that belong to the old times, nostalgic souls tossing and turning about the future. I had a chance to talk to a 87 year-old woman visitor, Mrs Phuong at the launching of the book “Nostalgia of the era of subsidization”.

Hello Ms. Phuong. Please share with us more about your work in the subsidized economy.

At first, I worked at the Paper Factory Hoang Van Thu (aka Dap Cau), built by the French in Thai Nguyen Province. During the war of resistance against the French, the factory was moved to the Safe Zone, and I worked mostly at Chu market. Afterwards, I was assigned a job at the Ministry of Finance.

When talking about that era, what comes to your mind first?

The era had many periods, such as the war of resistance period, the nationalization period, the period of construction of socialism in the North, and the period after the country’s reunification.

There are so many memories. Take for example, water. I am the kind of person who gets hot and was always anxiously waiting for the time water began running to get into queue to have a shower to cool down.

My husband and I were in the cadre receiving low ration coupons. Having 4 four children, our income was not enough to survive and we had to grow chickens, weave wool sweaters and so on to make more income. Everybody had to. I had scratched hands from weaving, and my daughter had to weave with me. I often got drowsy and they had to shake me and urge me to finish a sweater or a shawl. When I gave birth to my first child, we didn’t have enough to eat. All I was given was cane sugar treacle that we called war time chocolate.

To me, the days at the Safe Zone were the most memorable. It was simply hardship in all aspects of life. I dared but to dream to have a meal with boiled morning glory and fish sauce. On my wedding at the base, we had but fried peanuts to treat invited guests.

We even had to borrow money from the worker’s union. There was no camera to capture images of the wedding.

Life was poor, but the discipline was high. People were united, unified, and mutually reliable. Upper and lower cadres had common consent. Everything was devoted to the country.

Every time a female colleague gave birth to a child, everybody took turn to help with washing and babysitting. That created beautiful bonds. We have gone our separate

ways afterwards but always remember, keep in touch with, and see each other any time we can.

What similarities and differences are there between the era of subsidized economy and the era of renovation of the last 30 years, according to you?

Both eras have the principles of democracy and fairness, but nowadays they are not followed as well as before. Today, a large part of young people don’t pursue their education to the end, and theft and drug abuse have spread. Perhaps it was hard in my time, but it was also much safer and more disciplined. Today, you the young people have more opportunity to study and better access to knowledge. You have better chances to improve yourselves and contribute positively to society. However, the way I see it, family happiness is not as wellappreciated and protected as it used to be in my time. That’s so sad.

Life is always hard, and the hardship of those times could make everyone feel selfpity and indignity as they recall it. But somehow I cherish that era because I had beautiful mementos, good friends and good supervisors. Everybody lived a modest and simple life then. In hardship we learn how great human endurance, perseverance and sacrifice can be.

Thank you for the meaningful conversation. I wish you good health to enjoy your life with your family and to witness the positive things to come in this country.

Interview by Thuy Liên

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FOOD

Gastronomy with Gastropods

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TEXT BY PIP DE ROUVRAY ; PHOTOS BY KHANH LINH

short while ago, I was asked if the Vietnamese fondness for eating snails were a consequence of the former French presence here. Well I can tell you there is firm archaeological evidence that people in Vietnam have been chowing down on molluscs since neolithic times. In Europe , written records tell us that there was such high demand for the delicacy during the Roman Empire that they were even farmed.

The big difference in gastronomy here is that Europeans eat land snails, whereas in this watery land the snails are dug out of rivers, ponds, lakes and muddy shorelines and estuaries. As much as the English do the Vietnamese,including my wife,turn their noses up at the thought of eating 'Oc Sen'- land snail. A notable exception here is from my son in law's home town of Tay Ninh where the locals love their mountain snails.

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Between Europe and Vietnam there is also a sociological difference in the eating of snail. In France they are associated with high end dining and they are often served with their rear ends stuffed with garlic butter. In contrast, the best place to eat snails in Vietnam can be in a quite down to earth 'Quan Oc' Here you will find a wide selection of the more common varieties and mainly men quaffing down beer as they eat. I had originally intended to write this article about a visit to one such place which gets five star reviews on the 'Trip Advisor' website. However on reconnoitre I discovered it is a small shop-like affair on a narrow busy street with more then the usual Saigon noise and pollutionunsuitable for a family night out.

So oft we went to try out a seafood restaurant located on a street where I work; namely the Ran Bien 7 (Sea Shrimp 7), which has snails high on the bill of fare. As the number would imply, this one of a

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chain with branches dotted around town.

Our party consisted of myself, my wife, our two daughters with the elder one husband and our two grand daughters.

The restaurant is housed in a voluminous hall open to the street at one end. There is a grill station fired by charcoal timber and a white board with the price of the dishes posted. But the main attraction was the highly oxygenated aquaria centrally placed where we adults could introduce ourselves to our dinner and where the children could gaze in wonderment at such exotica as menacing Canadian King Crab,very ugly looking stone fish or , as they name them in Vietnamese, ca mat quy (evil eye fish) gigantic lobster and prawn and outsized grouper fish.

From the half a dozen or so snail dishes on the menu we ordered the Oc Huong (babylonia areolata), or in English, Perfume Snail so named from its fragrance both when fresh and cooked. It had the

SEASON’S GREETINGS & MERRY CHRISTMAS 2018

crunchiness and taste of sweet whelks. We also tried the Oc Mong Tay (Fingernail Snails) which were much larger and elongated. Not really a snail but a clam was the plate of So Duong Artex. All were served steamed and presented in their shells with garnishings of onion greens and peanuts-all very scrumptious and fresh.

Other dishes ordered by the party were blue swimmer crab,seafood rice mainly for the children ,and a seafood hotpot with rice noodles. Washed down with copious amounts of Saigon Export beer this was all a rare treat. I will add there are some very expensive imported items on offer such as lobsters at several million dongs a piece and both from Canada king crab and geoduck. The latter is very long and phallic looking Pacific Ocean clam-the translation of this name which is from a native Canadian language says as much.

Overall, we all had a very enjoyable evening. My Vietnamese wife gave the Ran Bien ten out of ten for everything but price. She was a bit shocked the bill came in at 2,800,000 VND. But for five adults and two kiddies if you are from London, Paris or New York you probably would not bat an eyelid. Finally those of you have still have a prejudice about eating snails, is it not about time you came out of your shells and tasted their delights? Neither you nor your stomach will be disappointed.

The Ran Bien 7 restaurant Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 6, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: 028 3935 2089

What could be more wonderful this Christmas than to behold Saigon from the deck of the 5-star cruiser Saigon Princess, share stories with your loved ones, and enjoy a dinner prepared by our top chefs, in the classic beauty and elegance of the French Colonial style?

How about saving 30% on it?

This two-hour cruise includes a luxurious four-course Christmas menu, a glass of Rosé wine, and live music on the 360-degree Sundeck with romantic night time views of the city. You just need to choose us; we’ll do the rest.

This promotion runs 22 – 25 December, 2018 and applies to reservations with payment made prior to 20 December, 2018. Promotion rate: 910,000VND for adults , 455,000VND for children. 10% VAT & 5% Service Charge included.

REACH YOUR HIGH AT FIREWORKS NIGHT & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019 As 2018 comes to a close, whether you were busy or leisurely, whether you were successful or still have many regrets, we all have the right to be proud of our efforts in the past year.

Give yourself and your beloved ones a memorable New Year's Eve. Watching fireworks on the Sundeck of the Saigon Princess, with its 360degree open space, and the most modern urban scenes on the Saigon River-- this is the perfect ending to a a perfect year for you.

The four-hour cruise on the Saigon River will include live music, a welcome mocktail, a unique canapé menu, a special five-course dinner menu exclusive to the Saigon Princess, and a glass of sparkling wine at midnight. This perfect night will cap off with a fireworks display and a special gift.

This promotion applies ONLY to NEW YEAR'S EVE 31 December 2018, Reservations and payment prior to 25 December 2018 is requested.

Promotion rate: 1,900,000VND for adults, 950,000VND for children. 5% Service Charge & 10% VAT included.

BOOKING NOW Website: https://www.saigonprincess.com.vn/ Phone: (+84) 28 3514 6033 - Hotline: 088 890 1068 Email: sales@saigonprincess.com.vn Add: 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Ward 12, District 4, HCM City, Vietnam

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EVENTS

HA NOI

Photographic Exhibition on Vietnamese Pagodas Until Dec 31 2018 The exhibition features works of French photographer Nicolas Cornet on his favorite themes of architecture, art deco and the rustic beauty of the mundane life seen in pagodas all over Vietnam.

Nicola pays a special attention to ancient pagodas with rich history that still preserve the original architectural features such as But Thap, Pho Minh and , Thien Mu Pagodas...

Through the exhibition the French photographer wants to perpetuate the beauty of cultural heritage and to send to Vietnamese and those who love Vietnamese culture a message, “Pagodas and temples are a typical cultural feature that is worth preserving.” He also hopes that the interest in Vietnamese pagodas will lead to the application of scientific methods and knowledge in preservation of spiritual heritage.

Venue: 24 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

The “Quintessense of Tonkin” show 15th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 25th, 27thand 29th of Dec 2018. From Jan 2018 the show takes place on Tue, Thu, Sat and Sun every week.

This show is performed by two groups of artists. One consists of some farmers living nearby in Sai Son and Chua Thay who had been trained for two 2 years to be able to accompany the real artists. The second group consists of students of Vietnam Dance College.

The show takes inspiration from the story of Tu Dao Hanh Zen priest practicing Buddhism at Chua Thay, one of the oldest pagodas of Vietnam. It also includes typical cultural elements of the North of Vietnam.

With a total of over 250 performers on a

38 •

VIETNAM HERITAGE

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4,300m2 water stage, the show is sure to impress even the most seasoned spectators with scenes of water puppet show or quan ho love song exchange...

Christmas” by Irving Berlin.

Opera House, 7 Công Trường Lam Sơn, D.1, HCMC. Tickets are from VND 200,000 to VND650.000.

Contact: 02838237295, 0989874517 (Ms. Hương), 0903604539 (Ms.Ngọc) ‘We’re in this, together’ 14 December 2018 - 27 January 2019

Before the show visitors are given a chance to enjoy a country bazaar full of the most typical, mouth- watering food items of the Northern countryside.

Fee: from VND200,000 to 800,000 Venue: Sai Son, Quoc Oai, 23km from Hanoi downtown. Transportation: By bus (80,000 VND/two-way ticket) from 49 Hai Ba Trung Street.

The “Bamboo talks” music show At 18:00 of Dec 16 2018 and every Sunday It’s a the seamless blend of traditional and modern art by Phu Sa (Sediment), a group of independent artists. The creativity, seen in new bamboo instruments, in mixing them with drums, gongs, and saxophone etc. sets a new standard for artistic performances in Vietnam one that has to display passion and enthusiasm. The show is meant to send a message about nature, faith and society.

Performers Nguyen Duc Minh, Dinh Anh Tuan, Tran Kim Ngoc...

Venue: Phu Sa Lab 21/52 To Ngoc Van, Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi.

HO CHI MINH CITY

Christmas concert 19 December A Christmas concert by Greek conductor Petros Karpathakis features two parts; the first presenting two concertos, including famous “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky and “Jazz No. 2” by Shostakovich. The second includes classic works by F. Schubert, G. Bizet, C. Gounod and C. Franck as well as very popular Christmas songs such as “Adeste fideles” by John Francis Wade, “O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam, and “White

DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

The inaugural edition of ‘Pollination’ Exhibition by Julia Sarisetiati ( Indonesia) and Vicky Đỗ (Vietnam) Venue: The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre. 15 Nguyen U Di, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City.

Bodies survey (ED) Until 29 January 2019

Sàn Art presents “Bodies Survey(ed)”, a group exhibition by famous Vietnamese artists including Lê Phổ, Vũ Cao Đàm, Võ Trân Châu, Dương Ánh, Đào Đức, Trần Trung Tín, Ly Hoàng Ly, Lê Hiền Minh, Ngô Đình Bảo Châu, Phạm Đình Tiến, and Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai. The exhibition traverses the myriad contours and reveries of the body across various mediums—painting, installation, wartime visual artifacts, artist’s book and livestream video—animated by a wide selection of Vietnamese-born artists.

The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the multilayered meanings of‘survey,’ which means, particularly in art contexts, to broadly view and/or closely examine..

Venue: Sàn Art - Millennium Masteri Building, B6.16 & B6.17, 132 Ben Van Don, Ward 6, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY HCM City turns into ocean as Usagi arrives Tuoi Tre News November 26

Many neighborhoods across Ho Chi Minh City were submerged under a massive volume of rainwater as downpours overwhelmed the metropolis on the entire Sunday.

Torrential rains started flooding numerous roads in many districts in the evening, posing a nightmare for commuters, especially motorcyclists.

In District 7 floodwater was as high as one meter and people were helplessly pushing their broken-down motorbikes. Motorbike repair stores along the road were always filled with customers.

Those who live along inundated streets and alleys had to applied every measure possible to prevent floodwater from flowing into their houses, or to at least mitigate the situation inside their already flooded homes.

The southern weather station said the rain on Sunday had the highest volume and longest duration in the city’s history.

Nha Trang projects cause deadly landslides Tuoi Tre News November 23

Local residents believe that projects developed atop several mountains in Nha Trang, a beach city in the south-central region’s province of Khanh Hoa, are behind recent deadly landslides that affected the residential areas below.

At least 18 people were killed and several remain missing after downpours triggered mudslides in multiple areas across the city last weekend.

Officials said most of the victims were buried uder massive piles of mud and rocks which fell down the mountains, and rescue efforts had been severely impeded by the difficult terrain.

The locality was establish in the early 2000s with more than 300 houses at the foot of a mountain and this is the first tragedy of this type to hit the area.

Coastal erosion erases beaches, destroys resorts in Phan Thiet Tuoi Tre News November 20 Beaches in Phan Thiet, the capital and

resort city of the south-central province of Binh Thuan, are being gradually erased by severe coastal erosion, leaving resort owners fearing for their properties.

Along a two-kilometer coastline in Ham Tien Ward, erosion has turned land into sea, with the width of beaches being reduced by around 25-35 meters.

While some resorts erect temporary dykes to fight off the erosion, others have seen their properties engulfed by the intruding water, leaving large, dangerous cavities along the shoreline.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Thuan Province admits coastal erosion is now worse than when it was first reported in March, with the length of affected coastline doubling from one kilometer to two kilometers.

The erection of unlicensed makeshift dykes along the shoreline by local resorts have actually worsened the situation.

Hanoi to catch unattended dogs to fight rabies VNExpress International November 28

Hanoi is set to hire dogcatchers to round up stray and unattended canines as part of efforts to combat rabies.

According to the city's Animal Health Department, besides preventing the spread of rabies, the city also seeks to educate people on how to raise dogs properly, ensuring the safety of people.

The dog wardens will hit the streets starting next year.

A law enacted last year requires dogs to be muzzled, chained and attended to by their owners in public. Violations attract fines of VND600,000-VND800,000 ($26-34). Rabies killed 67 people in Vietnam in the first nine months this year, according to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Vietnam’s wetlands under threat Viet Nam News November 12

Wetlands in Viet Nam, which occupy an important place in the development of the country and are a key source of income for local communities, are under threat from both natural factors and human activities.

With a total area of nearly 12 million

hectares, accounting for 37 per cent of the country’s total land, wetlands benefit all economic sectors.

At present, many wetlands have been reduced. Some have become degraded or polluted, while others are not being used sustainably, requiring effective conservation.

Experts say that unsustainable use of wetland areas is a major threat to their conservation and management.Wetlands are in danger, but conservation work is not yet effective due to a lack of investment.

New cavefish species found in Quang Binh cave Viet Nam News October 30

Scientists at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources have announced the discovery of a new fish species endemic to a cave system in the central region’s Quang Binh Province, which is home to the world’s biggest grotto, Son Doong.

The institute announced the discovery of Speolapeo hokhanhi, a blind cavefish in the province’s Hang Va Cave. Research on the new species was conducted during field trips in Quang Binh’s Son River basin starting in 2014.

It also added that only six species of subterranean fishes have been reported from karst regions lying between Viet Nam and Laos.

The newly-found cavefish has a white to pinkish coloured body and all of its fins are transparent.

Experts expected to find more new cavefish species in these karst caves once the research activities are fostered in the area.

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DIRECTIONS

HALONG

(TELEPHONE CODE: 033)

Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in September 1945, is a complex of historic sites.

Syrena Cruises

Hung Thang new urban area, Bai Chay, Halong. Tel: (033) 3847-043 Hanoi Sales Office: Syrena Tower, 3th Floor, 51 Xuan Dieu St, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3719-7214 Email: se@syrenacruises.com www.syrenacruises.com

Lapaz Hotel & Resort

Tuan Chau Island, Halong Tel: (033) 3842-999 www.holidayvillahalongbay.com

Vinpearl Halong

Cot Co Tower

28 Dien Bien Phu St, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi Cot Co Tower, the so-called Flag Tower, is now part of the Vietnam Military History Museum complex. The Tower was built in 1950, under the Nguyen Dynasty, with the help of French engineers. The tower has 36 flower-shaped windows. At the top of the tower flies the flag of Vietnam.

66 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3733-2131 www.vnfineartsmuseum.org.vn Open 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry fee VND20,000 ($0.95)

Hanoi Opera House

Vietnam Military History

1 Trang Tien St, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi Designed by a French architect along the lines of the Paris Opera House, it is embellished with wonderful Gothic statuary. For many decades, Hanoi Opera House has been a centre for theatre, traditional music and dance, symphonies, traditional and classical music. This, the largest theatre in Vietnam, was completed in 1911.

Hoa Lo Prison

‘La Maison Centrale’, the prison on Hoa Lo Street in Hanoi, was built by the French in 1896 and became the place where generations of Vietnamese freedom fighters were held.

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St Joseph’s Cathedral

Reu Island, Bai Chay, Ha Long, Viet Nam. Tel: (033) 3556-868 www.vinpearl.com

HAI PHONG CITY Avani Hai Phong Harbour View 12 Tran Phu St, Ngo Quyen Dist., Hai Phong.

Tel: (031) 3827-827 www.avanihotels.com

Hanoi Museum

2 Pham Hung (next to Vietnam National Convention Centre), Me Tri Commune, Tu Liem Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 6287-06 04 Opening hour: 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Free entrance

TRAVEL

Emeraude Classic Cruises

46 Le Thai To St, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3935-1888 www.emeraude-cruises.com

19 Ngoc Ha St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3846-3752 www.baotanghochiminh.vn Open: 8 a.m. to noon (Monday and Friday), 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (other days) Entry fee: VND25,000

3rd Floor, 66A Tran Hung Dao St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3828-2150 www.exotissimo.com

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

Topas Travel

12 Nguyen Tri Phuong St/ 9 Hoang Dieu St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 37345427 www.hoangthanhthanhlong.vn Open: 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed on Mondays) Entry fee: VND30,000

52 To Ngoc Van St, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3715-1005 www.topastravel.vn SIGHTSEEINGS

Ba Dinh Square

36A Dien Bien Phu St, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi.

Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho HERITAGE

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum

Museum 28A Dien Bien Phu St, Hanoi www.btlsqsvn.org.vn Open 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43)

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3756-2193, www.vme.org.vn Open 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND40,000 ($2)

Women’s Museum

36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3825-9936 www.womenmuseum.org.vn Open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43) TRAVEL

Vietnam National Museum

of History 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. 25 Tong Dan St, Hanoi.

I DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

Hue Riverside Boutique

Resort & Spa 588 Bui Thi Xuan St, Thuy Bieu Dist., Hue. Tel: (0234) 3978-484 www.hueriversideresort.com

Imperial Hotel

8 Hung Vuong St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3882-222 www.imperial-hotel.com.vn

Indochine Palace Hotel

105A Hung Vuong St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3936-666 www.indochinepalace.com The hotel is surrounded by lush green gardens that make it an outstanding landmark in Hue and give the city the feel of a resort. This luxurious, international standard hotel is created to appeal to Vietnamese and international visitors to Hue.

La Residence Hotel & Spa

5 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3837-475 Email: resa@la-residence-hue.com www.la-residence-hue.com Step back in time to Art Deco's golden age with a stay at La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa, MGallery by Sofitel. Nestled along the fabled Perfume River overlooking the former Imperial Citadel, La Residence is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece with luxurious cultural and culinary experiences. This former governor's residence with 122 guestrooms and suites offers visitors a warm hospitality and a chance to relive the pleasures of a bygone era.

Lang Co Beach Resort

Oxalis Adventure Tours

Phong Nha Commune, Son Trach Village, Bo Trach Dist., Quang Binh Province. Tel: (0232)3677-678 www.oxalis.com.vn

HUE

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0234) HOTELS, RESORTS

Century Riverside Hotel Hue

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Exotissmo

40 • V I E T N A M

40 Nha Chung St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi Fresh missionaries built this cathedral in the late 19th century. The small but beautiful panes of stained glass were created in Paris in 1906. Also of note is the ornate altar, with its high gilded sidewalls.

MUSEUMS

HANOI

Tel: (024) 3824-1384 www.baotanglichsu.vn Open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Closed every first Monday of months. Entry fee VND40,000 ($1.82) for adults and VND10,000 ($0.48) for children

463 Lac Long Quan St., Lang Co Town, Phu Loc Dist, Thua Thien Hue Province Tel: (0234) 3873-555 www.langcobeachresort.com.vn

Hotel Saigon Morin

30 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234)3823-526 www.morinhotel.com.vn

DANANG

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0236) 49 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3823-390 Email: res@centuryriversidehue.com www.centuryriversidehue.com Century Riverside Hotel Hue, with its 135 rooms, is located in a vast area of 20,000 square meters. It is surrounded by a garden full of fruit trees, various kinds of flowers and a green pasture.

Hue Century Riverside Hotel lies by the side of Truong Tien Bridge and the bank of the romantic Huong River.

Vinpearl Luxury Danang Truong Sa St, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son Dist., Danang. Tel: (0236) 3968-888 www.vinpearl.com

Danang Museum of Cham

Sculpture 2, 2 Thang 9 St, Danang Tel: (0236) 3572-935 www.chammuseum.danang.vn Open 7.15 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43)

HOI AN

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0235) HOTELS, RESORTS

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Bai Dai, Ghenh Rang, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province Tel: (0256) 384 0077 Email: quynhon.villas@anantara.com www.anantara.com/en/quy-nhon MUSEUM

PHAN THIET

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0252) HOTELS, RESORTS

Aroma Beach Resort & Spa

1 Pham Hong Thai St, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3914-555 Email: sales_ha@anantara.com www.hoi-an.anantara.com

Aurora Riverside Hotel & Villas

NHA TRANG

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0258) HOTELS, RESORTS

Champa Island Nha Trang

242 Cua Dai St, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3924-111 www.aurorahoian.com

Hotel Royal Hoi An, Mgallery Collection 39 Dao Duy Tu St, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3950-777 www.mgallery.com

Resort & Spa 304, 2/4 St, Vinh Phuoc, Nha Trang Tel: (0258) 3568-888 Email: sales@champaislandresort.vn www.champaisandresort.vn With architecture reflecting nearby Po Nagar temple, Champa Island Nha Trang offers exquisite cuisine and many entertainment services that promise a memorable stay in Nha Trang

Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa

Quarter 14, Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 2220-222 Email: info@muinebayresort.com www.muinebayresort.com

Seahorse Resort & Spa Quater 5, Phu Hai Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 3828-288 www.aromabeachresort.com With 52 authentic Vietnamese rooms and bungalows, the hotel offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the blue sea

Bamboo Village Beach Resort & Spa

10B Tran Hung Dao St, Hoi An Tel: (0235) 3862-367 www.hoianheritage.net Open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

QUY NHON

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0256) AVANI Quy Nhon Resort & Spa Ghenh Rang, Bai Dai Beach, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province Tel: (0256) 3840-132 www.avanihotels.com/quynhon Anantara Quy Nhon Villas

Km 11 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-507 reservation@seahorseresortvn.com www.seahorseresortvn.com MUSEUM

Cham Culture Exhibition Centre

38 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-007 www.bamboovillageresortvn.com

Lac Long Quan St, Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province Tel: (0235) 3927-927 Email: info@pgr.com.vn www.palmgardenresort.com.vn

Hoi An Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation

6 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 2481-888 www.catymuineresort.com info@catymuineresort.com

Song Mao intersection, Phan Hiep Commune, Bac Binh Dist., Binh Thuan Province; Tel: (0252) 3641-456.

Open: 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. / 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Free entrance

DALAT

Blue Bay Muine Resort & Spa

Palm Garden Beach Resort and Spa

MUSEUM

Caty Resort

Muine Bay Resort

Quang Trung Museum

Block 1, Phu Phong town, Tay Son Dist., Binh Dinh Province. Tel: (056) 3580-320 Open 7 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry fee VND10,500 ($0.50).

Free for children under six

DIRECTIONS

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0263) HOTELS

Ana MandaraVillas Dalat Resort & Spa Northern Peninsula Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3989-898 Email: info@rivieraresortspa.com www.rivieraresortspa.com

InterContinental Nha Trang Hotel

32-34 Tran Phu St, Nha Trang Tel: (0258) 3887-777 www.intercontinental.com

Suoi Nuoc, Muine, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3836-888 Email: info@bluebaymuineresort.com www.bluebaymuineresort.com

Hoang Ngoc (Oriental Pearl) Beach Resort & Spa

6 Duong Hien Quyen St, Vinh Hoa Ward, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3552-468 www.nhatrang.muongthanh.vn

Le Lai St, Dalat, Lam Dong Province Tel: (0263) 3555-888. reservationdalat@anamandara-resort.com www.anamandara-resort.com From VND3,150,000 ($150)

Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang

Monet Garden Villa

MườngThanh Grand NhaTrang Hotel

Hon Tre Island, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3598-188 Email: info@vinpearlresort-nhatrang.com www.vinpearl.com MUSEUM

Alexandre Yersin Museum

Pasteur Institute, 10 Tran Phu St, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3822-406

152 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-858 Email: info@hoangngoc-resort.com www.hoangngoc-resort.com

Muine Mud Bath & Spa

133A Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3743-481 Email: sales1@bunkhoangmuine.com www.bunkhoangmuine.com

3 Nguyen Du St., Dalat City, Lam Dong Province. Tel: (0263) 3810-826 www.monetgarden.com.vn

DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

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DIRECTIONS

HO CHI MINH CITY (TELEPHONE CODE: 028) TRAVEL

Asiana Travel Mate

17 Le Duan St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3824-1555 Email: h2077@sofitel.com www.sofitel.com

a favourite tourist destination, offering a wide range of Vietnamese handicraft, fresh fruits and local specialities.

Saigon Prince Hotel

It was set up at the end of the 18th century when the Minh Dynasty in China was overthrown. Chinatown has many shops and private workshops. The most interesting places are Binh Tay market, Soai Kinh Lam fabric whole-sales market, the street of herbal medicine located on Hai Thuong Lan Ong and Thien Hau Temple on Nguyen Trai Street.

113C Bui Vien St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3838-6678 www.atravelmate.com

Buffalo Tours 81 Mac Thi Buoi, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3827-9168 Email: travelagency@buffalotours.com www.buffalotours.com.vn

Exotissimo 261/26 Phan Xich Long St, Phu Nhuan Dist., Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (028) 3995-9898 www.exotravel.com

Saigon Tourist 45 Le Thanh Ton St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3827-9279 www.saigon-tourist.net

63 Nguyen Hue St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (84) 28 3822 2999 www.saigonprincehotel.com Windsor Plaza Hotel 18 An Duong Vuong, Dist.5, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (028) 3833-6688 www.windsorplazahotel.com

Trails of Indochina 10/8 Phan Dinh Giot St, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City; Tel: (028) 3844-1005 Email: dosm@trailsofindochina.com www.trailsofindochina.com HOTELS

Eastin Grand Hotel Saigon

GALLERIES

Apricot Gallery 50 Mac Thi Buoi St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3822-7962

Craig Thomas Gallery 27i Tran Nhat Duat St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Mobile: 0903 888 431 Email: cthomasgallery@gmail.com www.cthomasgallery.com Open: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Closed Mondays and Sundays

Galerie Quynh 253 Nguyen Van Troi St, Phu Nhuan Dist., Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3844-9222 Email: Info@eastingrandSaigon.com www.eastingrandsaigon.com

Level 2, 151/3 Dong Khoi St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (028) 3824-8284 www.galeriequynh.com Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Park Hyatt Saigon

Sàn Art

2 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (028) 3824-1234 www.saigon.park.hyatt.com

Rex Hotel 141 Nguyen Hue St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-2185 www.rexhotelvietnm.com

Sofitel Saigon Plaza

48/7 Me Linh St, Ward 19, Binh Thanh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 6294-7059 www.san-art.org SIGHTSEEINGS

Notre Dame Cathedral

HERITAGE

MUSEUMS

Fine Arts Museum of Ho Chi Minh City 97A Pho Duc Chinh St, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-4441 www.baotangmythuattphcm.com Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Mondays 41 Hoang Du Khuong S, Ward 12, Dist. 10, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3864-2430 www.fitomuseum.com.vn Open daily from 8.30 a.m. till 5.30 p.m.

Ticket: VND50,000 The first museum of traditional Vietnamese medicine

Ho Chi Minh City Museum 65 Ly Tu Trong St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-9741 www.hcmc-museum.edu.vn Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Independence Palace 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3822-3652 www.dinhdoclap.gov.vn Open daily, 7.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Southern Women Museum 202 Vo Thi Sau St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel: (028) 3932-7130

The History Museum 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-8146 www.baotanglichsuvn.com 8 a.m. - 11.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.

- 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

Closed on Monday

Ben Thanh Market

War Remnants Museum

I DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

VUNG TAU

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0254) HOTELS, RESORTS

Petrosetco Hotel 12 Truong Cong Dinh St, Ward 2, Vung Tau. Tel: (0254) 3624-748 www.petrosetcohotel.vn

Petro House Hotel 63 Tran Hung Dao St, Ward 1, Vung Tau Tel : (0254) 3852-014 Hotline: 0961.085.869 Email: info@petrohousehotel.vn www.petrohousehotel.vn

The Coast Hotel

Fito Museum

Cong Xa Paris Square, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Built in 1877, and the Cathedral opened to the public in 1880. The bricks used to build this marvellous structure were shipped from Marseilles.

Le Lai St, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh market is a trade centre and

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Chinatown – Cho Lon

Tel: (028) 3930-5587 Email: warrmhcm@gmail.com Open daily 7.30 a.m. to midday and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

28 Vo Van Tan St, Ward 6, Dist.3, Ho Chi Minh City.

300A Phan Chu Trinh St, Ward 2, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3627-777 Email: info@thecoasthotelvungtau.com www.thecoasthotelvungtau.com MUSEUM

White Palace 6 Tran Phu St, Ward.1, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3852-605 Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PHU QUOC

(TELEPHONE CODE: 077) Eden Resort Phu Quoc Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To Ward, Phu Quoc District, Kien Giang Province Tel: (077) 3985-598 www.edenresort.com.vn MUSEUMS Coi Nguon Museum 149 Tran Hung Dao St, Duong dong Town, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province Tel: (077) 3980-206 www.coinguonphuquoc.com

MAIN SPONSOR

CONGRATUlATIONS TO WINNERS !

VIETNAM HERITAGE PHOTO AWARDS 2018

Nature, Tangible Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Life, Ao dai Vietnam

FIRST PRIZES

SECOND PRIZES

THIRD PRIZES

The Maturity Ritual of Tight Pants Yao people in Tuyen Quang Province Author: Nguyễn Mạnh Cường

Seafaring dance Author: Trần Bảo Hòa

Carrying plucked rice Author: Lê Trung Kiên

Traditional wrestling of northern midlands Author: Nguyễn Công Hưng

Hanoi Autumn Author: Trần Hưng Hòa Hiệp

Making traditional rice noodle Bánh hỏi Author: Nguyễn Cảnh Hùng

RUNNERS – UP PRIZES Morning mist at Moc Chau Author: Cao Kỳ Nhân

The Central Gate Author: Nông Thanh Toàn

Martial Spirit Author: Nguyễn Vũ Hậu

Tran Quoc Pagoda Author: Trần Hưng Hòa Hiệp

Chau Van Performance Author: Nguyễn Đức Nghĩa

Re-enacting History Author: Vũ Đức Phương

VIETNAM HERITAGE JUNIOR PHOTO AWARDS (for participants under 25)

FIRST PRIZE

SECOND PRIZE

THIRD PRIZE

Out of school Author: Lương Nam Nhật Long

The infinite blue Author: Đào Vũ Đình Hoàng

Fishermen playing ball Author: Ngô Quang Duy Ẩn

RUNNERS – UP PRIZES Barber shop under the stairs Author: Nguyễn Bảo Long

Dance on a lagoon Author: Nguyễn Đức Bá Thiên

“SKY PRIZE – 1 YEAR FLYING WITH VIETJET” Photo: Contemplating Vietnam Author: Nguyễn Ngọc Thái

PLATINUM SPONSOR

OFFICIAL AIRLINES SPONSOR

CO-SPONSORS

Sun going down Author: Hoàng Văn Tuân

VIETNAM HERITAGE PHOTO AWARDS - 23 NOVEMBER 2018

Mdm. Do Le Ha, Representative of Canon Marketing Vietnam, Mr. Do Van Tru, Vice Director of Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam and First Prize Winners of Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards 2018 - Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong and Mr. Nguyen Canh Hung (left) ; The Second Prize Winners Mr. Tran Bao Hoa, Mr. Nguyen Cong Hung (right)

Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards Third Prize Winners: Mr. Tran Hung Hoa Hiep and Mr. Le Trung Kien ; Runner- up Prize Winners: Mr. Cao Ky Nhan, Mr Nong Thanh Toan. Mr. Tran Hung Hoa Hiep, Mr. Nguyen Duc Nghia, Mr. Nguyen Vu Hau; The First Prize Winner of Vietnam Heritage Junior Photo Awards 2018 Mr. Luong Nam Nhat Long (holding the Cup)

Winners of Vietnam Heritage Junior Photo Awards 2018: Mr. Hoang Van Tuan, Mr. Nguyen Duc Ba Thien; Mdm. Le Thanh Hai, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Heritage gave Memorial gifts and flowers of appreciation to the Awards Sponsors: Mrs. Do Le Ha, representative of Canon Marketing (left) and Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Director of Vietjet office in Hanoi (right)

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VIETNAM HERITAGE PHOTO AWARDS - 23 NOVEMBER 2018

Winners of Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards on the stage on the occasion of National Heritage Day Celebration organized by Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam at the Au Co Theatre on 23 November 2018.

Mdm. Le Thanh Hai gave the Third Prize of Vietnam Heritage Juniior Photo Awards to photographer Ngo Quang Duy An for his work ‘Fishermen playing ball’ ; Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Director of Vietjet in Hanoi awarded the ‘Sky Prize -one year flying with Vietjet’ to photographer Nguyen Ngoc Thai for his work ‘Contemplating Vietnam’ ; Mr Duong Hoai Nam handed the gift of 18 round-trip Vietjet tickets to the Mdm. Bui Thi Hang, Representative of the Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards organizer

Performance by ethnic minority dancers from the Vietnam Museum of Ethnic Minority (based in Thai Nguyen Province) at the opening of the Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards 2018 Ceremony. Winners with Awards Certificates and prizes in the exhibition hall after the Awards Ceremony, at Au Co Theatre, Hanoi 23 November 2018 DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019

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VIETNAM EXHIBITION CENTRE OF CULTURE AND ARTS 23 NOVEMBER 2018. Clockwise from top left: Mr. Do Van Tru, Vice Director of Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam (centre with red tie) and Mr. Ho Huu Thoi, Musician and Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Association (third from right) congratulated and handed flowers and exhibition certificates to photographers ; Mdm. Le Thanh Hai, Editor-in- Chief of Vietnam Heritage Magazine with Mr. Lam Huu Phuc, author of “Caring” ; Photographer Dao Ngoc Hien of Thai Vi Temple Festival with his friend ; Photographer Le Van Hao received certificate and flowers from Mdm. Le Thanh Hai.

LAUNCHING THE EXHIBITION AT HO GUOM CENTRE OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, HANOI ON 3 NOVEMBER 2018. Clockwise from top left: Cutting the ribbons; Mr. Do Van Tru, Vice Director of Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam (centre) and Mdm. Le Thanh Hai (in red ao dai) with Hanoi photographers whose works were on display at the exhibition; Mr. Lai Dien Dam, a senior photographer in Hanoi who participated in the Vietnam Heritage Photo Contests for many years shared his passion on cultural heritage photography; Visitors at the exhibition.

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HO CHI MINH MUSEUM (HCMC BRANCH) ON 23 NOVEMBER 2018: Mr Nguyen Viet Hung, Vice Director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum - Ho Chi Minh City Branch congratulated photographers who had works on display at the exhibition at the Museum (from 23 November to 10 December 2018) ;Mr Huynh Pham Anh Dung, Ms Nguyen Trang Kim Cuong; Visitors at the exhibition; School pupils from Tran Hung Dao Elementary School at the exhibition.

HOA LU STADIUM HO CHI MINH CITY ON 3 NOVEMBER 2018.

Clockwise from top left: Participants in the Canon Photo Marathon Vietnam 2018 enjoying the Vietnam Heritage Photo Awards exhibition; Mr Nguyen Van Que (right), representative of Cultural Heritage Association of Ho Chi Minh City with Ms. Le Thi Kim Lien;Mr Nguyen Van Tuan, Ms.Nguyen Hong Nga and other photographers at the exhibition.

H E R I T A G E

P H O T O

A W A R D S

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